NFR heeler and ARHFA Futurity Champ Billie Jack Saebens isn’t one to oversell a horse.
So when he says Una Furiosa “makes my job pretty easy,” that’s not just a compliment—it’s a fact. After scoring a 937.86 on four head and pocketing $7,360, the message is clear: this gray mare isn’t just good. She’s special, and she’s already won $49,290 to show it.
“She just kind of wants to be good,” Saebens, of Nowata, Oklahoma, said. “Good-minded, got enough sting to her, wants to work—there’s really nothing I’d change about her.”
Una Furiosa is part of the Southern Ranches program, a product of 15 years of breeding from Larry Rice’s Flag Ranch, focused on cow and run. She’s got it all: the look, the mind, the motor. And now, the wins to match.
“She’s fast,” Saebens admitted. “Earlier I wasn’t sure, but now—she’s leaving the back of the box harder, hunting the cow harder. I missed the barrier by two-tenths at Decatur and still caught up to the steer and was six. At Utah, I broke the barrier and still made the run. She’s coming on.”
Saebens isn’t burning her up at home, either. He’s smart about keeping her fresh.
“I scored one on her Monday—perfect—and put her up,” he said. “I ran five or six on Tuesday while I had lessons and called it good. She knows the difference between schooling and showing now. At home, she’s automatic. I don’t know if we’re gaining much there anymore.”
The secret? Confidence over mileage.
“At this point, it’s not about peaking. These 4-year-olds have been tested,” he said. “It’s just keeping them confident and happy. I’m not going to hammer on her. She knows her job.”
That confidence is built through trust, not tricks. Saebens avoids over-scoring.
“I feel like we’re trying to trick ’em every time we score,” Saebens said. “I’d rather just sit in the box and keep it fair—don’t make her question what’s coming next.”
Saebens has a barn full of horsepower, but Una Furiosa is making a case for herself as one of the best. He’ll take her, along with DF Legends Pride And Joy and the stud Emoji to the $465,000 added Solo Select Incentive Futurity Oct. 1-2, 2025.
As for Una Furiosa’s future? Breeding is definitely on the horizon—but not just yet.
“No embryos pulled yet,” he said. “But when it’s time, I think she’ll cross really cool on some of these studs.”
